Photos by Molly Miles
The McKnight Foundation today announced the selection of Ricardo Levins Morales as its 2024 Distinguished Artist, an award given annually since 1998 to a Minnesota artist or culture bearer who has made significant contributions to the state’s cultural life.
An artist and organizer, Levins Morales creates art as a form of medicine to support healing from and resistance to oppression. His work is widely used by grassroots movements, organizations, and communities to motivate action and build resilience.
“He uses art generously and accessibly to elevate voices and to power vital labor, environmental, and justice movements.”– DEANNA CUMMINGS, ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
“Ricardo is an incredible leader and organizer whose art and activism helps us envision and achieve a more just and abundant future,” said Tonya Allen, president of McKnight Foundation. “Over decades, his iconic art and generous spirit have inspired solidarity with farmers, environmentalists, union leaders, racial justice advocates, and others working to build movements, strengthen communities, and advance justice.”
Born into the anti-colonial movement in his native Puerto Rico, Levins Morales was drawn into activism as a teenager in Chicago. He left high school early and worked in various industries, where he learned to combine his art with organizing skills. After moving to Minnesota in 1976, he co-founded the Northland Poster Collective, which for more than 30 years worked alongside activists, organizers, unions, and other movements for change. Today, his art studio in south Minneapolis offers tools for justice, from posters and buttons to zines with lessons in organizing. In collaboration with Line Break Media, he produced the video “The Soil is More Important than the Seeds,” which posits that cultivating the environment in which movements grow is critical to the success of organizations and initiatives, a concept that has become a foundational tenet for many organizers in Minnesota and beyond. Levins Morales also leads workshops on creative organizing, social justice strategy, and sustainable activism.
“Ricardo is deeply respected in social justice circles and for good reason,” said DeAnna Cummings, Arts program director at McKnight Foundation. “He uses art generously and accessibly to elevate voices and to power vital labor, environmental, and justice movements.”
Theater maker Keila Anali Saucedo, who nominated Levins Morales for the McKnight award, says he is distinguished not just by his art but also by his willingness to mentor. “He takes mentorship with local organizers, artists, students, doctors, and other leaders as a serious practice and makes room for it in the face of an impossible schedule. He has many accolades, but for those of us lucky enough to know him, we know that what makes Ricardo so esteemed is the way he gives himself over to his art and to his community. He has given endless amounts of time to helping people feel seen and heard.”
Levins Morales was selected by a panel of community members with broad perspectives and knowledge about the region’s diverse arts and cultural landscape. The panel included Christina Wood, executive director of the Duluth Art Institute; Bethany Lacktorin, executive and artistic director of Little Theatre Auditorium (New London); Theresa Sweetland, executive director of FORECAST Public Art; Seitu Jones, multidisciplinary artist and advocate; and María Isa, artist and CEO of independent record label SotaRico.
ABOUT THE McKNIGHT DISTINGUISHED ARTIST AWARD
The McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists and culture bearers who have made significant lifelong contributions to Minnesota, enriching our communities. The annual $100,000 award honors artists who have made an enduring commitment to creating art that is locally, regionally, and/or nationally significant. These artists have chosen to center their lives and careers in Minnesota, thereby making our state a more culturally rich place. First and foremost, they have produced creatively incisive art reflecting their particular and extraordinary point of view. McKnight Distinguished Artists have also inspired other artists, earned acclaim from audiences, patrons, critics, and other arts professionals, and some have founded and strengthened arts organizations. Since 1998, McKnight has recognized 27 artists with a Distinguished Artist Award.
ABOUT THE McKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.
